Southern China Highlights

Arrival in Beijing and connecting flight to Kunming.  Pick up and transfer to hotel. Time free and relaxing after long journey on plane. Overnight in Kunming. 

After breakfast set off on the drive to Shilin, you will discover the Stone Forest:  Located in Shilin Yi Nationality Autonomous County, the forest is a special type of limestone formation known as karst. Some 270 million years ago the area was submerged in a lake and a thick layer of limestone deposited on the bottom. The movement of the earth's crust caused the sea bottom to thrust upward and become land, and through weathering and erosion over eons, the stone was formed into pillars. These bizarre stone formations reach up to 30 metres tall and cover a large area stretching into the distance.
After time to explore the Stone Forest you will return to Kunming for your high-speed train to Lijiang.
Arrival at Lijiang, transfer to hotel. Overnight in Lijiang.

After breakfast set off on the drive to Tiger Leaping Gorge which is one of the deepest canyons in the world. Wedged tightly between titanic cliffs, the Yangtze River is so narrow here, so legend tells us, that a hunted tiger made his escape to the other side of the river in a single bound. The drive will take around two hours through some truly dramatic scenery, finishing at today's starting point at an altitude of 1790m. For those wanting to include a trek, the starting point is at Tina's Guesthouse, from where a rocky, uneven path ascends steeply through shrubland for around an hour. Continue along the higher path which ascends fairly gently for around 2 hours until reaching the Halfway House Guesthouse, where you will stop for lunch. This high path offers some exhilarating views of the Gorge and imposing mountains, but extreme care is required as there are vertical drop offs and no handrails. After a well-deserved lunch descend along a paved road for around 45 minutes until reaching the main road where you meet your driver. Continue to the lower section of the Gorge where you have the option of descending to the viewing platforms beside the water. It is recommended to visit these viewing platforms after the trek when the crowds have left. Continue by road back to Lijiang, arriving at your hotel early this evening.

Note
Please note that challenging trek is at high altitude, with slippery and rough terrain in places, and is only suitable for those who are fit and healthy. Decent footwear is essential, and the trek may be cancelled in wet weather. This trek is not recommended for anyone suffering from vertigo.

After breakfast set off towards the village of Shaxi nestled deep in the Himalayan foothills, and home to the Bai and Yi minority peoples. Shortly before the village ascend the pine forested hills to the Stone Treasure Mountain Grottoes of Shibaoshan. Here you will see some fine examples of 9th century Bai / Buddhist carvings depicting life in the region at the time, and enjoy commanding views of the surrounding peaks dotted with temples. After viewing the carvings trek along a firm footpath through pine forests and descend into the lush scenery of the Shaxi Valley, passing more rock carvings along the way. This easy trek takes around 2 hours in total, and includes many steps on the descent. Overnight at Shaxi.

This morning you will be driven to Dali a journey of approximately 3 hours. En route stop at Xizhou village, typical Bai town where the houses are decorated with woodcarvings, coloured patterns, marbles and wash drawings.

Afternoon we visit Dali: Dali is home to the Bai people, a colourfully dressed minority influenced by the Chinese, Tibetans and Indians. Throughout the town you will see typical houses of the Bais with stone walls and dark blue tile roofs. Visit the Three Pagodas, made of bricks, built a thousand years ago and coated with white mud, housing a shrine with a Buddha statue and lotus flowers. Continue to the ancient town, dating from 1382 AD when it was founded as the capital of the Dali kingdom. The original city wall was 8m in height and 6km in length with four gates in the east, west, south and north. The layout of the ancient city resembles a chessboard. Overnight at Dali ou Xizhou village.

Morning, you are free in Dali until the afternoon. Transfer to Dali railway station and take high-speed train D9112 (15h10/17h52) to Kunming. Arrival in Kunming, pick up and transfer to hotel. Time free. Overnight in Kunming.

After breakfast today you will be picked up from your hotel and transferred to the railway station in time to board the high speed train to Kaili. (Depart from Kunming on train G1538 to Kaili. (08.46 / 12.02). Upon arrival in Kaili, you will be met by your local guide and taken to the hotel. Afternoon visit a Shiqiao Miao village to see some of the hill tribe minority people and its ancient paper making; and the Kaili Nationality Museum located in the Miao village at Shanglangde, 17 miles to the southeast of Kaili. It has been classified as one of the "100 most distinctive Museums of China" and visitors can get a glimpse into the culture and history of the Miao people with displays on bronze drum dances, Fengyu Bridge, Baoye Bridge, beauty cushions, wine songs, ox & fish culture and local festivals. In addition, the museum owns a large collection of artefacts from different ethnic groups. After time to look around the museum you will be transferred back to hotel in Kaili. Overnight in Kaili

Today you will set off on the drive to Rongjiang passing several minority villages with possible visits to local markets. The road is currently being paved and these improvements could mean it will take around 6 hours to cover the journey. Your first stop will be at the Jidao Long-Skirt Miao Village where it is known as its women wear traditional long skirts. Lunch will be taken at a local family in Qingman Miao Village. Continuation for your visit at Datang, a short skirt Miao tribe village, and Zhaifei Caragana Miao Village which is famous for its women’s brightly dress like Caragana (their totem).
 On arrival in Rongjiang you will check into your hotel. Overnight at Rongjiang.

This morning set off from your hotel on the journey to the village of Jiabang, with sightseeing en route. This is a very scenic drive, and you will have plenty of opportunities to stop for visits to different Miao villages and rice terraces along the way. Overnight at Jiabang.

This morning you will have the opportunity for a guided walk to explore the spectacular rice terraces surrounding Jiabang. Then you drive towards Zhaoxing. On the way you will visit Basha which is a very special and old Miao ethnic village. The villagers here still practice their unique traditions which date back to the Qin Dynasty. The traditional costume of Basha men has been likened to that of the ancient samurai and they are rarely seen without a knife or a spear. They are also one of the last ethnic tribes to be allowed to carry a rifle. You will visit Huanggang Dong Village which boats not only pristine beauty, laidback countryside atmosphere but also the best-preserved lifestyle, customs, folk residences and festivals of Dong people. After a look around Huanggang Dong Village head in to Congjiang for lunch at a local restaurant, and then continue by road to Zhaoxing arriving in the late afternoon. Overnight at Zhaoxing.

After breakfast you will set off to visit Tang'an Village which is a Dong village a short drive from Zhaoxing. This village has been called the first ecological museum of the Dong people and here you will learn about their customs and lifestyle. Later there will be moderate walk of around 2 hours between this and another of the Dong villages. Lunch will be taken in a local restaurant during the day. In the afternoon return to Zhaoxing for some time at leisure. Overnight at Zhaoxing.

After breakfast this morning set off on the drive to Congjiang railway station for your high speed train journey to Yangshuo. Train D2807 ( 10h22 / 11h38.). On your arrival in Yangshuo you will be met at the railway station by a private driver and guide. Right after that you will be transferred to Xing Ping Ancient town.  After visiting of the old town, proceed to hotel in Yangshuo. Time free for walking around. Overnight in Yangshuo. 

Begin your bike tour at 08:30am from your hotel. Riding a bike along the Yulong River for 2 hours taking in the lush landscape, active wildlife and historical buildings along the river banks. Your guide will lead you to a real countryside of Yangshuo town and also some hidden areas only locals know. Pass by rice fields, villages, docks, water buffalo, Moon hill, big banyan tree, fishing pond, local bridges and unique karst mountains. Enjoy some section of a well-paved road and peaceful areas. After that take bamboo rafting.  This tour could be challenging for some people, and it's designed for ones who enjoy nature and is willing to discover all of the mane benefits. After that you will enjoy the cooking class, first of all, you will visit t local markets with your English-speaking local instructors to select ingredients for the lesson. Individual wok bench are available to you to prepare mouth-watering Yangshuo cuisine.  

This course includes a tour to local produce markets and 5 delicious dishes:
Beer Fish (famous local dish).
Chicken with Cashew Nuts
Steamed Stuffed Vegetables
Eggplant with Soy and Oyster Sauce
Green vegetables with garlic

Overnight in Yangshuo.

Morning free until transfer to Guiling for flight to Beijing. Connecting the international flight back home. End of service.